9 things to know about Danny Willett, the most unlikely Masters champion
England's Danny Willett, 28, was the surprise beneficiary of Jordan Spieth's historic Masters collapse on Sunday, winning his first title in the United States and the first major of his career. Here are a few things you should know about golf's newest Grand Slam champion.
1. The Masters was Willett's 12th major championship start. He had made the cut seven times before this weekend, finished 30th or worse in five of those starts and twice had top-15 finishes, both at the British Open.
2. This was Willett's second Masters. Only seven other players had won a Masters in their first or second starts. (Willett finished T38 in his debut last year.)
(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
3. Willett had never won a PGA Tour event before. He had four victories on the European tour, beating runners up Marcus Fraser, Ross Fisher, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Andy Sullivan. On Sunday, Jordan Spieth and Lee Westwood tied for second. Just a little bit different.
4. Willett's wife, Nicole, had been pregnant with the couple's first child with her due date on April 10, the Sunday of the Masters. Danny said he wouldn't play if Nicole was still with child. The good news is that the baby was born early.
Little man getting ready for masters week!!!! @Nicolewillett88 @FootJoy @TeamISM @TheMasters ð¶ð¼ð¶ð¼â³ï¸â³ï¸ pic.twitter.com/YDl3FJTobk
— Danny Willett (@Danny_Willett) April 4, 2016
The better news was that Willett got to play, and (obviously) win, the Masters. And the best news was that mother, child and father were happy and healthy after the birth of Zachariah.
5. Only one Englishman had ever won the Masters title before and he was in the 18th tower calling Willett's on CBS. The golfing and TV great Nick Faldo sounded very pleased for his countryman, but there was a sense of longing in his voice, almost as if he wished he was still carrying the flag for England. It'd be like talking to Johnny Miller while someone shot a 63 to win the U.S. Open.
6. Willett Facetimed with his wife right after Spieth was essentially eliminated by missing a birdie on No. 17. It was one of those wonderful, unscripted moments you only get in sports.
First thing you do as #Masters champion?
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 10, 2016
Facetime your loved ones
Congrats @Danny_Willett! https://t.co/TsVVq1oaOQ pic.twitter.com/59OWFbPhK5
7. This one will blow your mind: Willett was actually ranked No. 12 in the world entering the Masters. He wasn't an unknown in golf circles by any means, but you could have won a bet against even the biggest golf diehards by betting whether Willett was ahead of Sergio Gracia, Brandt Snedeker, Zach Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Paul Casey and Brooks Koepka. Willett moved up to No. 9 after The Masters.
8. Willett had made 22 starts on this side of the pond, with four top-10s and eight top-25s to show for it.
9. Jonathan Smart, Willett's caddie, wore the No. 89 on his white Masters jumpsuit. It's the same number Jack Nicklaus' son Jackie wore in 1986 when he caddied for his dad in Jack's historic Masters win.
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
